Has Paramount Picked a Helmer for Their 'G.I. Joe' Movie?

The pre-pre-production on Paramount's cinematic rendition of G.I. Joe has been a small powder-keg of controversy among the hardcore fans -- and they haven't even locked down a script yet! First there was a Latino Review report claiming that Skip Woods' screenplay was a certifiable slap in the face to the established fans, but then we got word that (at least) one more screenplay had been commissioned. And now with Transformers transforming '80s nostalgia into huge lumps of cash, Paramount looks to be interested in getting G.I. Joe rolling much sooner than later.

According to IESB and IGN Movies, it looks like Paramount / DreamWorks may have found their director in Stephen Sommers -- whom you'll no doubt remember from The Mummy, The Mummy Returns and (ugh) Van Helsing. (Confession time: I have a huge soft spot for Sommers' Deep Rising. Dang that's a dumb-fun flick.) Apparently the studio wants to rush this project into production (yep, that horrible impending strike strikes again) and they'll be combining Skip Woods' script with one penned by the team of David Elliot and Paul Lovett. I'm not exactly sure how I feel about the whole "rush into production" angle, but then again I wasn't raised on G.I. Joe cartoons so my interest in the project could be accurately described as "curious, but not much more."

Once the project actually kicks into production (or announces a few cast members) we'll be back to share the news. For previous reports on the live-action G.I. Joe project, check here, here and here.